MRS. BUSH: Thank you all very, very much. I'm so happy to be here
today in Bucks County and in Pennsylvania. As all of you know,
Pennsylvania is a very key state for this election. And I know the
results will be close, like they were last time. But George and I are
confident that, with your help, he'll win the state on November 2nd.
(Applause.)

In any political race, you need strong allies. And today, I'm so
happy to welcome three new allies to the Bush-Cheney team. As Dr.
Marilyn Heine said, the Pennsylvania Medical Society's PAC is -- the
Pennsylvania Medical Society is actually the largest association of
doctors in this state. And for the first time ever, their political
action committee is making an endorsement in a presidential election.
And I'm so proud that that endorsement is for President George W.
Bush. (Applause.)

PAMPAC is being joined by two other groups -- the Politically
Active Physicians Association and the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society
-- in their endorsements. Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)

The President and I are very, very grateful for your support.
Thank you, Dr. Heine and thanks also to Dr. Dick Schmidt and to Dr.
James Tayoun and to Dr. Anne Honebrink. Thank you all for being up
here with me. And I think Congressman Jim Greenwood is here in the
crowd. I want to thank him for his 12 years of service. Thank you so
much. Thank you, Congressman. (Applause.) Thank you for being with
us today.

And I'm grateful to Mike Fitzpatrick for his work for President
Bush in Bucks County. Thank you, Mike. (Applause.) And a special
thanks to all the Pennsylvania elected officials who are here.

I want to thank Father Jim Brennan for his invocation and Tony
Albano for his service to our nation and for leading the Pledge of
Allegiance. And I especially appreciate Erin Zezzo for sharing her
story with everyone. The experiences like Erin's highlight the
magnitude of the medical liability crisis. The members of the medical
associations endorsing the President today know that President Bush is
working hard to make high-quality health care more affordable and more
accessible for all Americans. And you know that the issue of medical
liability reform -- that on the issue of medical liability reform,
President Bush stands on the side of doctors and patients. (Applause.)

It's tragic that the medical liability reform crisis has reached
the point where good doctors are being forced to shut down their
practices, retire early, or move to other states with better liability
reform measures because they can't afford to practice medicine. Some
liability insurance rates have doubled or tripled in just the last year
or two. Hospitals like St. Mary's and Frankford Bucks are losing
doctors. And some communities have seen their closest emergency room
close its doors, forcing patients to spend a longer time at moments
when every second counts.

This growing crisis affects all Americans, and it's a particular
concern to women. Obstetricians have some of the highest medical
liability premiums. Rates for OB/GYNs in Pennsylvania have increased
by 125 percent since 1998. As the rates go up, doctors are leaving
their practices. The American College of Obstetricians reports that in
2002, nearly a third of their members reduced their obstetrical
practices and 12 percent reduced their surgical practices because of
the high rates of medical liability.

Doctors who once helped to bring hundreds of new babies into the
world are no longer delivering babies. Women like Erin Zezzo, who
spent years building a trusting relationship with their OB/GYN are left
searching for a new doctor, sometimes while they wait for the arrival
of their baby. Medical liability is a complex issue, but the primary
reason rates are skyrocketing is that America's legal system looks more
and more like a lottery for lawyers. (Applause.)

Without checks on the system, lawyers push juries to award huge
judgments to plaintiffs. Studies show that the median liability award
jumped from $700,000 to $1,000,000 in just one year. And many
insurance companies now settle even dubious claims out of court,
fearing the excessive amounts that may result if they go to trial. The
problem extends beyond doctors and beyond dollars. When frivolous or
junk lawsuits fill our courts, it's harder for people who are truly
injured to get justice. And hospitals are hesitant to improve patient
care, because they fear that reviewing or changing treatment methods
could leave them open to litigation.

President Bush has offered common sense solutions to the crisis of
junk lawsuits in America, one that will help injured people, not enrich
trial lawyers. (Applause.) The President wants to protect the rights
of injured patients, to get full compensation quickly for their
economic losses. This includes medical expenses, loss of income or
potential income, and damages like the cost of child care when a parent
is injured.

At the same time, noneconomic damages like pain and suffering
awards would be capped. The President proposes a cap of $250,000 over
and above the economic damages that are awarded. Reports show that in
states with caps like the one the President proposes, medical liability
insurance rates rose about 10 percent in a year. In states that didn't
have caps, insurance rates rose nearly three times as much.

The benefits of medical liability reform would be felt across our
country. According to the Department of Health and Human Services,
medical liability reform would save at least $60 billion in health care
costs every year. And a congressional committee estimated that medical
liability reform would help nearly four million Americans get health
insurance. This would make health care more affordable and more
accessible for us all. (Applause.)

We're fortunate in America to enjoy the best health care in the
world. And it's time to put the focus back on patients and doctors.
To preserve doctor/patient relationships, we need medical liability
reform. (Applause.)

To bring down the cost of health care, we need medical liability
reform. And to help more people get insurance, we need medical
liability reform. (Applause.)

President Bush has already asked Congress to pass a good reform
bill. And when he's reelected, he'll work with Congress until the job
is done. (Applause.)

The President understands that health care is central to every
American's economic security. No one can feel secure if they feel that
their next illness might wipe out their savings or drive them into
debt. That's why the President is taking a comprehensive approach to
making high-quality affordable health care available to millions more
Americans. (Applause.)

One of the achievements that the President is most proud of is the
new Medicare prescription drug bill. After people in Washington spent
years talking about helping seniors pay for their medication, the
President finally delivered results. (Applause.) Today, seniors have
access to prescription drug discount cards that offer real savings on
medicines and more than four million seniors have signed up. And in
2006, the full prescription drug benefit will go into effect. At that
time, seniors will be able to cut their drug costs roughly in half for
a low monthly premium. (Applause.)

The Medicare bill also offers a new option for insurance coverage
that all Americans can take advantage of, and that's health savings
accounts. These accounts enable people to buy a low-premium,
high-deductible insurance plan and use tax-free savings to pay for
routine health expenses like eyeglasses or prescriptions. And
President Bush has proposed making the cost for the premium of these
insurance policies tax-free as well. (Applause.)

The President believes that income should not be a barrier to
getting quality health care. His administration has helped states
expand Medicaid and S-CHIP eligibility to more than 2.5 million people
since 2001. Last year, nearly six million children who otherwise would
not have had health coverage had access to medical care thanks to
S-CHIP.

My husband has worked to expand community health centers across
America so that all Americans can receive good health care regardless
of their ability to pay. One out of every four low-income child in
America gets health care at a community health center. Thanks to the
President's efforts, community health centers now serve three million
more Americans than they did in 2001 -- a total of 13 million people
annually at nearly 4,000 sites. (Applause.)

All of these initiatives have made health care more affordable and
more available for Americans. And the President has plans to do even
more. He has proposed a refundable tax credit to help low-income
Americans purchase health insurance and he strongly supports
association health plans which would enable small businesses to pool to
buy medical coverage for their employees at a lower rate.

President Bush also wants to maximize the benefits of information
technology, like electronic medical records, so that doctors and nurses
can better monitor treatments and reduce errors and patients can go
from doctor to doctor with their complete medical history.

The Department of Health and Human Services is working to create a
safe and secure way to restore medical records electronically, and the
President has set an ambitious goal to make sure most Americans have
electronic health records within the next decade. (Applause.)

My husband has been focused on health care from the very start of
his administration and I have been talking about health care, too. For
years, I talked about women's cancers and health diseases. And
recently, when I learned that heart disease is the leading killer --
the leading cause of death among women in America, I took up this issue
as well. This news came as a surprise to me. Like many women, I
assumed that cancer took more lives than heart disease. But, in fact,
heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. One
of the reasons heart disease is so deadly for women is that women don't
know they're at risk. They think of heart attacks as a man's disease.

I joined the Heart Truth campaign sponsored by the National Heart,
Lung and Blood Institute to get the word out to women. I've traveled
around the country talking to women about their risk, encouraging them
to learn the symptoms associated with a heart attack, and promoting the
importance of a healthy lifestyle. And I hope that all of you will do
the same. Talk to your female patients and talk to your colleagues.
Often primary care physicians and OB/GYNs are the only doctor a woman
visits during the entire course of a year. When physicians talk to
their patients and when they pay attention to symptoms, lives will be
saved.

We can also save lives through medical research. And I'm pleased
that George is committed to advancing medical research. Last year, he
fulfilled the pledge to double the budget for the National Institutes
of Health, and he's requested $2.4 billion for next year. This money
will support research that leads to new and better treatments for heart
disease and many other illnesses. (Applause.)

And although you might not know about it from listening to the news
lately, the President also looks forward to medical breakthroughs that
may arise from stem cell research. (Applause.) Few people know that
George W. Bush is the only President to ever authorize federal funding
for embryonic stem cell research. (Applause.)

Last year, the federal government invested $25 million in embryonic
stem cell research and nearly $191 million in other stem cell research,
adult stem cell research. (Applause.) Many millions more are spent in
the private sector. The President has provided a boost to research in
a very promising new field, while recognizing that this is an issue
with moral implications that must not be treated lightly. (Applause.)

My father died of Alzheimer's disease and I share the President's
eagerness to find a cure for this devastating illness. I hope that
stem cell research will yield cures and therapies for a myriad of
illnesses. But I know that embryonic stem cell research is very
preliminary right now, and the implication that cures for Alzheimer's
are around the corner is just not right, and it's really not fair to
the people who are watching a loved one suffer with this disease.

Research does offer the advancement of scientific knowledge and a
growing understanding of how stem cells can be used to treat illness.
The President's policy makes it possible for researchers to explore the
potential of stem cells, while respecting the ethical and moral
implications associated with this research. (Applause.)

As President, my husband has met the toughest issues head on. He
believes that his duty -- the responsibility of every leader -- is to
find solutions to problems, not pass them on to future Presidents and
future generations. (Applause.)

Just as he has taken the lead to improve and expand health care,
President Bush has strengthened our economy. He has improved America's
schools and he has promoted security and freedom around the world.
(Applause.) Thanks to the President's tax relief plan, millions of
families are keeping more of their own money and deciding how to use
it. (Applause.) More than 4.6 million people right here in
Pennsylvania are paying lower taxes.

After enduring a recession, terrorist attacks and corporate
scandals, we're now enjoying strong economic growth. (Applause.) More
Americans than ever before know the pride of home ownership, and more
minority families own homes now than ever before. In fact, more than
half of minority families now own their own homes. (Applause.)

And here in Pennsylvania, you created 20,000 new jobs in the month
of June alone. This is great progress. (Applause.)

Yet the President has made it clear that he will not be satisfied
until every American who wants to work can find a job. His commitment
to lower taxes and efforts to encourage investment will help ensure
that our economy keeps growing until prosperity reaches every corner of
America. (Applause.)

Education is also close to the President's heart and to mine. The
No Child Left Behind Act is bringing more money, higher standards and
stronger accountability to schools throughout America. Now we have
clear goals for education. Every child should read by the third grade,
because reading is the foundation and fundamental for all other
learning.

We're assessing students' progress every year in elementary school,
to make sure children don't fall through the cracks and get shuffled on
through without learning. And with a new emphasis on high standards
and accountability, every student will graduate high school well
prepared to go on to college or into the work force. (Applause.)

We're also sharing the blessings of liberty with our neighbors
abroad. The terrible acts of September 11th showed us the face of evil
in the world, but they also called us to the great work of promoting
freedom and democracy. Today, 50 million more men, women and children
live in freedom thanks to the United States of America. (Applause.)

Because we acted, al Qaeda's biggest supporters, the Taliban, were
driven from power and the people of Afghanistan were liberated from
their oppressor. Today, women can walk freely on the streets in public
without male supervision and millions of girls are going to school.
(Applause.)

Afghanistan's new constitution protects the right of all people to
speak freely and to vote and they'll participate in their first
election next month. In fact, nearly nine million Afghans have already
registered to vote, despite terror threats and intimidation from the
remnants of the old regime. (Applause.)

In Iraq, the brave men and women of our military, along with our
allies, toppled Saddam Hussein's government and liberated the Iraqi
people. (Applause.)

The new Iraqi interim government has the full support of the United
Nations, the European Union and NATO. And we'll stand with the Iraqi
people during this hopeful time for their nation. We still face
challenges every day, but we know that there's no safe alternative to
resolute action.

I'm proud of my husband for recognizing the challenges that America
faces at home and abroad and for taking action to meet them. I'm proud
of my husband for so many reasons, not least of which is the dignity
and respect he shows for every person he meets. (Applause.)

George has worked hard on behalf of all Americans from the day he
took the Oath of Office, and now it's time, during this election
season, for us to go to work for him. The endorsement of the
Pennsylvania Medical Society's PAC is a great honor for a President who
prides himself on putting the needs of patients and doctors at the top
of his health care agenda. Thank you all for that. (Applause.)

I want to encourage you to talk to your neighbors and your friends
and your colleagues about the President's vision to move America
forward. Sign up with the campaign and make phone calls or go door to
door. These are hopeful times for our country. We're moving America
forward and we have great confidence in our ability to overcome any
challenge. These are times that require particularly strong and
determined leaders, and I'm proud that my husband is that kind of
leader. (Applause.)

Thank you all. Thank you so much for your hard work to reelect
President Bush, and thank you for your friendship. May God bless you
and may God bless America. Thank you. (Applause.)